Residents of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are more afraid of poverty than violence. Only a little more than one-third of Baltic residents are afraid of getting mugged.

60% of Latvians, 55% of Lithuanians and 47% of Estonians note they are afraid of losing their jobs. 71% of Latvians, 69% of Lithuanians and 62% of Estonians say they are afraid of not having enough money to sustain them during their retirement, according to ERGO Security Index.

Residents of all three Baltic States feel the safest in their homes. 80% of respondents say they are not afraid of any kind of violence being directed at them when they are home. Results of the survey show that Baltic residents are not concerned about experiencing an act of sexual violence. The majority of respondents deny the possibility of someone attacking them because of ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation – 68% of Latvians, 75% of Lithuanians and 83% of Estonians are not worried about such a possibility.

Respondents are not concerned about emotional violence as well. Approximately one-fifth of respondents in Baltic States are afraid of emotional violence breaking out in their homes and in their families. 31% of Latvians 29% of Lithuanians and 19% of Estonians are concerned about behaviour of their colleagues and employers.

‘Although the matter of crime in Baltic States remains very sharp, residents feel relatively safe in their homes and out in streets. They are not worried too much about being mugged or experiencing sexual assault. Instead, people in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are more worried about their finances. Residents feel uncertain about their future and their ability to sustain their family,’ – says ERGO Board member in Baltic States Ingrīda Ķirse.

Life insurance is one of the most rapidly growing insurance options in Latvia. According to data from Latvian Association of Insurance, the first nine months of 2014 have brought this segment a significant growth in the market – 23%.

This demonstrates economic growth in the country and that people are more open to the prospect of investing in insurance. This coincides with growing interest and understanding of different forms of life insurance. Insurance products that are in demand the most at the moment are provisions for pension and provisions for children’s future. Residents are also highly interested in products like insurance against accidents, illness or risk insurance, as noted by the company.

Latvian Employers’ Confederation (LEC) is worried about ongoing events and their negative effect on the stability and future development of the country’s economy. LEC believes that stabilization of the financial situation requires careful coordination of actions between institutions and the government.

Compared to December 2017, level of producer prices in Latvian industry rose by 0.9 % in January 2018. Prices of products sold on the domestic market went up by 1.2 % and prices of exported products by 0.6 %.

Russia is trying to use the established situation to create chaos in Latvia. Efforts, however, are fated to fail, says chairman of Saeima’s Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee Ainars Latkovskis.

Latvia’s Finance Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola has failed to prevent the decision made by United States Department of the Treasury, which is ruinous for the country’s financial sector and humiliating for its reputation, says chairman of New Conservative Party Jānis Bordāns.

Considering events of the last several days in the country’s banking sector and the arrest of the governor of the Bank of Latvia – Ilmārs Rimšēvičs – it is entirely possible that someone is currently realizing a massive information operation. Its structure and execution is not unlike the one observed in USA, France and Germany during the pre-election period, BNN was told by Latvia’s Defence Ministry.

«This situation is incredibly complicated. This situation is quite possibly the most complicated one I have ever been in. I feel a great deal of support from people I don’t know, as well as my friends and family members. I have decided to not back down – I am innocent. The the people attacking my reputation have only one goal in mind – to have me step down,» said the governor of the Bank of Latvia Ilmārs Rimšēvičs during a press conference on Tuesday, 20 February.

The number of people working in Latvia’s culture sector is equal to 4.5% of the total number of employed people in the country. This proportion is also larger than the average one across the European Union, according to data published by Eurostat.

Considering that Latvia’s Education and Science Ministry has several ongoing industry reforms, it would be best to put the proposal for compulsory secondary education on hold, said Education and Science Minister Kārlis Šadurskis during a meeting of Saeima’s Education, Culture and Science Committee.

Association of Latvian Commercial Banks sees a need for the European Central Bank (ECB) to become more involved in the discussion and help resolve the situation, considering evaluation of ABLV Bank’s business model is in direct competence of ECB.

The largest fast food catering restaurant network in Finland and Baltic States – Hesburger – plans to invest approximately EUR 11.5 million in business development this year. EUR 5.5 million are planned to be invested in Latvia’s market, says Hesburger Development Director Ieva Salmela.

On Tuesday, 20 February, air temperature in central and northern parts of Finland dropped to -27° C… -31° C in morning hours. In Norway, close to the Finnish border, air temperature has dropped as far as -34° C, according to data from meteorological stations.

It is not impossible that someone may want to undermine Latvia’s financial sector, said chairman of Latvian Finance and Capital Market Commission Pēters Putniņš in an interview to Rīta Panorāma programme on Tuesday, 20 February.

There are serious risks associated with European Union’s co-financed project for the revitalization of Skanste neighbourhood, including construction of Skanste tramway line, says member of Riga City Council and For Latvia’s Development party Viesturs Zeps.

Latvia’s society believes the KGB documents should be made publicly accessible immediately. In addition, residents say they are confident in their ability to discuss those documents without the country’s supervision, which takes the form of expert opinions prevailing over society’s moral views, as stated by guest researcher of History Institute of the University of Latvia M. His. Marta Starostina.

«What we have observed in the past several days is that Latvia’s financial sector has received several heavy strikes as a result of the government’s uncoordinated and chaotic actions. Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis has evidently ‘disappeared’ and offers no clear plans to resolve the crisis, whereas Finance Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola says different things in every interview. Such behaviour will not help resolve the crisis. It could instead pull the country’s financial sector in a much deeper crisis,» says chairman of For Latvia’s Development Juris Pūce.

As a security measure, the governor of the Bank of Latvia Ilmārs Rimšēvičs has been applied with a prohibition to take post, said Latvian Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis after a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.